The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh launched a ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Kaushal Kamai Yojana’ on Thursday, which is essentially a ‘learn and earn’ scheme under which youth educated up to at least Class XII will be placed under apprenticeship in various industries/companies and given a stipend of Rs 8,000 per month.
The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the day his government completed three years in office. The day also marked the martyrdom of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
Chouhan called it the ‘biggest apprenticeship programme' in the world for which the government has made a provision of Rs 1,000 crore in the budget for the upcoming financial year.
This scheme is being looked upon as an election year initiative by the BJP government to attract youth voters and to counter the issue of unemployment being highlighted by the opposition Congress.
The registration of youth under the scheme will start from June 1 on the newly launched ‘Yuva Portal’ and the stipend will start from July 1, Chouhan announced during a ‘Youth Mahapanchayat’ organised at Motilal Nehru stadium in Bhopal. The new youth policy of the BJP government was also launched on the occasion.
Targeting opposition Congress, he said some political parties believe in providing unemployment allowance but failed to keep the promise. He claimed that his government believed in practically upgrading the skills of the youth to make them employable.
The CM said the students who had to discontinue education after Class XII or who have failed to get permanent jobs after graduation will be provided training in various sectors by offering them apprenticeships in various industries/establishments. The state government will give a monthly stipend Rs 8,000 to the youth, over and above the stipend to be paid by the industry/establishment. Chouhan said the target will be that after a year of apprenticeship, the youth either get absorbed in the same establishment or get a permanent job elsewhere.
He said while the initial provision is for about one lakh youth, the government will extend the scheme to all the eligible youth who register.
Other announcements
Chouhan announced that five per cent seats in medical colleges in the state will be reserved for government school students and for this, two lists of students who clear NEET (the national level medical entrance test) will be created. In the future, seats might also be reserved for students wanting to go in for Hindi medium medical education.
The annual income limit for CM Medhavi Vidhyarthi Yojana (meritorious students’ scholarship scheme) will be increased to Rs 8 lakh from the current Rs 6 lakh.
One-time exam fees scheme has been announced for government job aspirants, wherein they will be able to take multiple recruitment tests by paying a single fee.
Chouhan said 1,000 tribal youth artists will be given three-month fellowships on stipend of Rs 10,000 per month. A student innovation fund of Rs 100 crore will be established and centres will be opened for students wanting to learn foreign languages.
The Youth Commission will be reconstituted; ‘Khelo MP’ youth games will be organised every year in the state and from next year, ‘youth budget’ will be a separate part in the annual budget of the state.
Youth policy and youth portal
Chouhan said the youth policy has been formulated after extensive discussions. The main objectives are that youth should become such entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks with self-confidence; are aware of economic and financial systems and structures; mentally and physically healthy; responsible towards agriculture and environment; inclusive and just; have scientific attitude and temper; are capable of taking fact-based balanced decisions; have respect for our culture and become employable by gaining education and skills.
He said that the work areas of the youth policy would be – education and skill, employment and enterprise, youth leadership and social work, sports and fitness, arts and culture, environment protection and inclusiveness and equality.
The CM urged students to plant a sapling on their birthdays (giving his own example of planting a tree a day), ensure mental health through yoga and play on the grounds along with playing games on cell phones. He mentioned that the trades of drugs and psychotropic substances will be destroyed to save the newer generation.
